Current Exhibit
Colorful Palette, EP!Casso
The artists of Colorful Palette hope that you enjoy the art exhibit. Additional artwork is exhibited and sold in the EP!Casso Art Studio and Gallery at EP!C, 1913 W. Townline Road, Peoria. Also, you can visit EP!C’s Square at EPICci.square.site to view and purchase their artwork. Please visit EPICci.org for more information and join us on social media to help advocate for our cause so that everyone has a fair chance to reach their full potential.
Past Exhibits
Vibrant Rhapsody, Taryn Klockenga
I have been ‘arting’ from the moment I could hold a pencil and took that passion all the way to college, where I earned a BA in Media Arts and Animation. From there I have been developing and expanding as an artist, working in digital marketing and creating unique and vibrant art.
My main inspiration comes from animals and Dungeons & Dragons-type creatures. For most of these recent pieces, I focused on the amazing and colorful forms found in nature using an assortment of mixed media – acrylic paint, colored pencils, and even Pokémon cards!
My passion is to inspire others with unique illustrations that lovers of the fantastical can enjoy.
Taryn Klockenga can be contacted to purchase prints, originals, or commissioned pieces. Learn more about her art at taryngraceart.com, or follow her on Instagram @tauntingwabbit.
Incantations of the Present, Kelsey Beth Robb
My art depicts the juicy richness of life. It hits both the abstract and the physical aspects of our world, thus reflecting back to me how I am perceiving my reality. There is what the eye can see, and there is also this amazing movement of Spirit underneath it all.
I make abstract marks first. I let my body move intuitively. Watching the canvas deepen as I add layer after layer is my favorite part of the process. Not really understanding the colors I choose, but trusting myself. Moving through the “ugly” phase to discover the beauty on top. It’s like connecting with people. Only I’m connecting with myself, my quirks, my beliefs, and the parts of me that I would rather leave unseen sometimes. I’m discovering how I feel about Spirit, or how Spirit feels about me, outwardly expressing my inner world on canvas.
I want you to be wowed. I want you to understand this reality the way I do— as an insanely magical space where you are using your innate power to create everything that happens to you. I want you to remember how beautiful life is. We are all manifesting the world with our thoughts. Our thoughts transform into emotion, and that emotion influences our next actions. My desire is for my art to help you skip past the thought and just rest in the emotion of peace. Of beauty. Of personal acceptance. Of possibility.
I wasn’t one of those people constantly drawing in a sketchbook. I was never covered in dabs of color. I would parrot over and over that “I suck at art,” digging into that false aspect of my identity through the repetition of sound. After years of breaking down the descriptors of myself that no longer resonate, I’ve finally stepped free of expectation to make the art that I love— women and flowers in wild colors and glitter. The most beautiful things in our world. I trust you to begin to understand this about yourself: that you can change, too. You are an artist, too, always in the here and now.
Kelsey Beth grew up in Peoria, Illinois. She has her degree in English, creative writing, and a minor in studio arts from Bradley University. Even with those credentials, she didn’t begin to think of herself as an artist until much later. Fast forward ten years and a whole spiritual awakening later. Now the main word she does use to describe herself is “artist.” Every action she takes is influenced and supported by Spirit, and she believes this the most important piece of knowledge she’s gained in her life. She started working at a crystal shop in 2018, where she sold her first painting. That artwork turned into a full seven-canvas series, and that’s when the flowers of her art business finally began to blossom. Now, at twenty-nine, KB is so excited and grateful to share her art and spirit with others. Her message is that everyone is an artist deep down, and that anyone can learn to do what she’s doing. She wants to brighten the lives of all she meets, and being able to support that vision with her creations has been the greatest blessing. She developed the Color Meditation in 2021 after spending six years as an English teacher (a decision she’d made after graduating, internalizing the idea that a poet couldn’t possibly make a living). This interactive painting workshop is her lifeblood. It’s how she can share this knowledge with her community, and the only way it came to be was from her taking the leap of faith and quitting that corporate job to follow her artistic dreams. Learn more at kelseybethcreates.com.
Recent Reductions, Tyler Brandon
The ecology and natural colors of Earth endlessly inspire me. These elements are visible early in my work as I began to develop my own personal aesthetic to color and form. Lichen and moss forming on the weathered sandstone and limestone of Southern Illinois are mimicked in the crystals, carbon trapping, and color I strive for. My forms draw inspiration from historical pottery and the organic shapes seen in gourds, pumpkins, weathered rock, animals, and the human body. I notice now that the places I enjoy retreating to most are filled with those characteristics.
I have been working in wheel-thrown stoneware and porcelain for nearly 15 years, the past two pushing to support myself only through teaching and creating an ever-evolving body of work, completing the cycle by selling as much as possible. Each piece is treated as a spontaneous sketch and idea leading to the next, perfected through repetition and failure. I have taught, had solo shows, and have developed clay programs, personal studios, and kilns throughout Central Illinois and Crestone, Colorado, most recently developing a popular clay class through the Peoria Art Guild, encouraging a love for clay, the science of glaze, and the art of throwing pots.
Recent Reductions is a collection of pots fired in a vintage updraft Alpine kiln retrofitted with natural draft venturi burners, a very simple and primitive setup requiring no electricity. The kiln is fired in a reduction atmosphere to cone 10 (2300+F). Reduction is a lack of oxygen caused primarily by closing the damper. Increasing gas or closing the air intake at the burner are also ways to fine tune the amount of reduction and how the flame moves throughout the kiln, making each firing unique depending on the pots and the stack. The result chemically changes the clay and glaze completely: producing coppery color especially in reds, flashing and carbon trapping in shino glazes, and giving bare clay a richer color. Through layering glazes and thoughtful placement while loading, a cone 10 reduction firing can yield results hard to duplicate any other way.
Many of the pieces in the collection were thrown and fired within the past year, many of them being within the past couple months or even weeks. I encourage repetition in my classes and always find the next pots better than the last, which is one of many reasons I love making them so much.
Contact Tyler at tbpottery@gmail.com, take his ceramics class at Peoria Art Guild, or find his booth at the Peoria Farmer’s Market.
The Past Inside the Present, Noah Otten (2022)
Left: Crystal Range
Right: Star Sign Sky
The quilts on display represent my initial transition into fabric arts, which I began in late 2017 as a resident artist at the Prairie Center of the Arts in Peoria. Key concepts of inquiry which I had uncovered during college, such as additive and subtractive color theory, along with the elusive notion of simultaneous contrast, fueled the fabric work into an exploration of abstract fine art quilting, a medium my grandmother had completely submerged herself in before her passing in 2015.
Using pre-cut squares of her unused fabric collection arranged in a grid, I wanted to reintroduce myself to machine sewing while honoring her memory and life-long passion, allowing something abstract and totally unexpected to emerge from the process. The results are these two quilts which vibrate with potential energy while suggesting vaguely discernible imagery. Celestial and natural forms slowly elucidate themselves from the mist of the subconscious. I believe these two pieces continue an unfinished story which seems to span beyond the parameters of my own perception.
Noah Otten is a visual artist from Peoria, IL. His mother and grandmother, both accomplished seamstresses, strongly encouraged his pursuit of artistic endeavors since before he could remember. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Bradley University in 2017 with a concentration in oil painting. Since graduating, his artistic practice has evolved into a multidisciplinary synthesis of drawing, painting, fabrics and quilting, photography, and more. The belief in a fluid relationship between different mediums in order to establish a sustainable symbiosis between them is prioritized in the process. He currently works as a school teacher at Peoria Academy and has displayed artwork in a variety of venues throughout Central Illinois.
.
We Are EP!C, EP!Casso (2022)
People with cognitive differences are people. We live in neighborhoods. We are engaged in the world around us when shopping at our favorite stores, when visiting museums, libraries, and other local attractions. We grow our social capital by going to the movies, attending church, going on vacation, and eating out with our friends. We attend classes, volunteer, and work in the community.
We are talented. We express ourselves through a variety of mediums of art. We are potters, ceramicists, glass artists, painters, printmakers. We create art to express ourselves. We create art to display and to sell in our community. We are artists. We are people. We are EP!C.
The artists of “We Are EP!C” hope that you enjoy this art exhibit. Additional artwork is exhibited and sold in the EP!Casso Art Studio and Gallery at EP!C, 1913 W. Townline Road, Peoria, and during special hours at our retail location at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie.
Please visit EPICCI.org for more information and join us on social media to help advocate for our cause so that everyone has a fair chance to reach their full potential.
EP!Casso Art Studio and Gallery at EP!C provides individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the opportunity to explore the visual arts, study art history, acquire an array of art skills, develop creative styles, and experience art in the community.
.
Automatic Creation, Hannah Offutt (2021)
I am from Peoria, IL – born and raised. Art has been a part of my life since I could remember holding something to write with. My parents homeschooled myself and 10 children, of which I am the oldest. Art, reading, music, and writing were highly encouraged. I often taught myself how to do many things that I wanted to know how to do. Guitar and songwriting was a big part of my life coming up as a creative, and then I branched into experimenting with other forms of expression.
Painting was always a passion that I could never grasp until I took some lessons and learned a few things. I am still learning, experimenting, and researching – all of which I love to do with my art.
This series of paintings is an exploration of oil painting. About 15 years ago, I had an oil painting lesson. I then tried recreating the painting of sunflowers I’d made, but I still didn’t really understand how oil painting worked. Fast Forward, I became inspired to paint with oils again after watching local painter Ana Fleming work, looking very closely at photographic-like oil paintings, and especially after watching the YouTube video How to Paint like Willem de Kooning with Corey D’Augustine. These pieces are about playfulness, imagination, color, and experimentation. All were created in early 2021.
Hannah is a member of the Peoria Guild of Black Artists. Learn more about their organization and community at peoriagoba.com. You can also find Hannah on Instagram @the_magical_realist and on Facebook.
.
Kaleidoscope, Niccole Maloney (2020)
I have been drawing since I was a child in the good old 1980s. For as far back as I can remember I have always drawn faces, so it’s no surprise that I love to do portraits. I’m fascinated by interesting facial features, hairstyles, profiles, and curious expressions, and I’m inspired by the uniqueness of the faces that we encounter every day. The playfulness in the eyes of a child, the depth of an old man’s smile lines – my work involves manipulating these faces with ink, paint, graphite, and markers to pull out the individual’s inner emotions. I fall a little bit in love with each one. I also find inspiration in music, pop culture, and retro Americana, as well as dark and interesting characters from history and literature.
Niccole teaches art classes and camps at the Potting Shed Art Studio (owned by her artist mother) and also teaches weekly art lessons with the students at the Easterseals Learning Academy. She’s been making portraits on commission for 15 years off and on. Along with portraits, she also paints murals, clothing, and other items. Niccole believes happiness comes from surrounding yourself with creative, like-minded people and draws inspiration from her creative family: her artistic mother and grandmother, her guitar-playing husband of 15 years, and two teenage boys and first-grade daughter. View more of her work at facebook.com/NiccoleMarieIndieArts/.
.
Cross Stitch Series, Becky Houghton
Becky Houghton has been making counted cross stitch pieces since the early 1990s. She loves making art with needle and thread and loves this craft because it requires deep concentration and fully absorbs her attention. She finds it a good way to relieve stress — you can’t worry and cross stitch at the same time! She usually purchases kits which contain the fabric, thread, and directions, but she’s also designed simple patterns. Some of the larger pieces can take up to two years to complete because of the details and size. Becky works at Fondulac District Library as a reference assistant and says cross stitching is her favorite pastime — even more than reading!
.
recovery, Alexander A. Martin
As a queer man of color, questions of my own identity, desires, and place in society were a constant presence in my early life. Growing up in small town Appalachia, not much discourse on these topics was present, nor were there many similar folk around. In my work I reference bits of queer and black history, common associations with masculinity and femininity, and stereotypes associated with these concepts in a way that explores these histories and raises questions as to why these ideas perpetuate our culture and society. This is in an effort to engage in my personal histories, and as a way of analyzing the constructs and confines that we as a society have created.
This work on display deals with beauty. Beauty supply stores have been a safe haven for me as a queer, black, individual. The presence of strong, black femininity in these stores has always been welcoming. No one there questions why I might be purchasing hair or jewelry, and in fact help me do so. I can embrace aspects of myself there that I feel uncomfortable doing in other spaces. With this work I not only want to pay homage to these spaces but also look at how I perceive beauty. With detritus gathered from performances done in drag, make-up used to create various looks, and scraps of hair and clothing, I am trying to recycle the components that I use to curate my appearance and express my identity, to create work about those ideas of beauty and expression. Clothing, hair, and make-up were things I have been drawn to since youth and now can embrace and explore in my adult life.
Martin will exhibit with Fine Arts at FDL through September 30. His recovery series can be viewed in the The Alcove (2nd floor) and two works, Ma’am? and Pocket Play, is displayed in The Lowercase (lobby). Martin will present his work with an artist talk, open to the public, on Wednesday, September 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the Civic Complex Meeting Room 2. Martin is an Adjunct Professor of Art at Bradley University and the Outreach Coordinator/Educator with Central Illinois Friends. He obtained his BFA from West Virginia University and his MFA in Studio Art from Bradley University. More of his work can be viewed at the Prairie Center of the Arts 2019 Prairie Center of the Arts Alumni Invitational Exhibition (through September 13), the Bradley University’s Art and Design Faculty Exhibition (August 28 – September 27), or at alexanderandrewmartin.com .
.
The Art of Kandi Curtis, Kandi Curtis
Kandi Curtis is a mixed media artist utilizing technology enhancement to create digital images that are highlighted with acrylic, watercolor, or colored pencil. Her work often depicts animals, flora, or women in a soft, vivid, expressionist style. Kandi began drawing as a young child and studied Graphic Design at Illinois Central College, and continued to expand her practice in her spare time while raising a family and working in factories. In 2013, she was able to focus on her art studies and composition full time, creating Kandi Apple Art. She started her online gallery at kandiappleartgallery.com in 2015 and joined the Illinois Art League in 2016. She has participated in several viewings, exhibits, and art sales events throughout central Illinois and became the Board Volunteer Chairperson of the Illinois Art League in 2019. Her piece Vanna Whitewall won an Honorable Mention at the 2019 Rennick “History Thru Art” Show at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, and Water won an Honorable Mention in the 2018 Illinois Art League Member Show.
.
Teignmouth Electron—Textures, Sandy Sanders
Curiosity and a serendipitous encounter started Sanders on this creative quilt journey. While on vacation in Cayman Brac island, she walked the beach and explored. One day she spotted a dilapidated boat in the trees offshore. She took macro photos of the boat surface, which produced some very interesting artistic textures. But the story doesn’t end there. That evening she struck up a conversation with a gentleman at the resort. He said he was a museum curator researching a sailboat, Teignmouth Electron, which was the boat she happened upon that day. The curator told Sanders the original owner of the boat was an amateur sailor, Donald Crowhurst, who entered the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race – the first single-handed yacht race around the world in 1968. This fascinating story became her quilt inspiration.
Sandy Sanders has created art since she was a little girl. She enjoyed quilting with her great grandmother, sewing in 4H, hanging out with her father as he designed homes, and creating arts and crafts on her own. Her professional career is in graphic design and marketing. She is the publisher and designer at Really Design where creating quilted art is her passion. Sanders’ intent is to create meaningful fabric art and quilts that reflect memories, passion, and purpose. A very important part of her design process puts emphasis on the themes: repurpose, reuse, and recycle.
.
5 Years…50 Miles, Joel and Jeffrey Hersemann
5 Years…50 Miles is a collection of photos gathered throughout the tri-county area over the past five years. The Hersemanns have spent many hours in the fields, marshes, and waterways of the area searching for the images that represent these habitats. This exhibit comes as a continuation of years hunting and fishing locally.
Their photography, presented in both black and white and colored formats, was captured to express a “moment in time” in the interaction of the flora and fauna of the region. The images represent the natural wonders that surround us and allow viewers to share a small part of the artists’ identity, as well as the world we all share.
The artists hope that their viewers enjoy the display, and as a result, take a closer look at the natural beauty of the central Illinois landscape.
.
The Art of Jessica Reeves, Jessica Reeves
Jessica Reeves’s artwork is an exploration of her interests and passions, which tend toward nature and fantasy. She enjoys exploring different media and styles and utilizes a variety of materials and processes in each project. She is constantly exploring new ways to create as she develops her own personal artistic style. As an employee of Fondulac District Library, Reeves also illustrates For Future Reference, the comic strip featured in the library’s eNewsletter.
Reeves holds Bachelor’s degrees in Art and English from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. She was born and raised in Michigan and currently resides in central Illinois with her husband and a menagerie of beloved pets.
.
SPLAT, Allyson Belcher
SPLAT is an exhibit in which Belcher presents her experiments with the technique of splatter painting. Through these experiments, she discovered that the random, erratic arrangements found in splatter painting can mimic natural patterns while maintaining their individuality. She also revealed that splatter painting techniques can combine abstract patterns and shapes with realism, creating a positive relationship between them. Her paintings reflect the sublime beauty of this art form.
Allyson Belcher is a multimedia artist from Pekin. Belcher has a passion for numerous types of art, and works to excel in each. With the unwavering support of her family and friends, she has been successful in many of her artistic endeavors. Belcher has done several photoshoots, countless freelance art sales, and has collaborated with several local businesses on logo and packaging designs. She is on track to graduate from Eureka College in December 2017 with a B.A. in Digital Media and Design. Once she has completed her education, she plans to move out of state and begin working in an advertising firm. She hopes to be able to make a difference in the field, and see her work on many different public platforms.
.
Art for Enjoyment, James Frey
James Frey worked as a commercial artist for 46 years, during which he specialized in designing logos. During his career, he designed more than 20 logos for businesses and organizations in East Peoria alone, including the library’s first logo, and logos for Fondulac Park District and the City of East Peoria. He owned and operated Spectrum Graphics LTD, a full service graphic arts company, for more than 20 years. Since his retirement in 2005, Frey has begun exploring additional styles of artwork. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures feature lifelike portrayals of wildlife and famous people. Frey’s use of bold colors and his attention to detail harmonize to create captivating works of art. Frey has taught art and sculpture classes at the Fondulac Park District.
.
Visions of Johanna: The Life and Lyrics of Bob Dylan, Daniel Botkin
In 2016, Bob Dylan was ranked the best songwriter ever by Rolling Stone magazine. That same year, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first songwriter ever to receive that award. Dylan’s song lyrics have literary merit and provide inspiration for visual interpretations. The pieces featured in this exhibit are just a portion of a large body of Dylan-themed artwork created by East Peoria artist Daniel Botkin. Botkin exhibited the entire collection at the Duluth Dylan Fest for Dylan’s 75th birthday in May 2016.
Botkin’s art portrays bold and vibrant interpretations of Bob Dylan’s songs, and features thoughtfully executed elements of surrealism. Botkin studied art at Illinois Central College and Illinois State University and graduated with a B.S. in Art. He has exhibited his work in galleries and juried competitions across the nation and has been the recipient of several awards and grants. He also has published three comic books, which are in the archives of the Graphic Novels Collection at Columbia University, and he has recorded three CDs of his music. See more of his art at danielbotkin.com.
.
The Art of Tomya Wilson, Tomya Wilson
Wilson’s interest in art began when she won a City Clean-Up Poster contest at age 10. She continued to develop her skills and attended the University of Arkansas, Bradley University, and Illinois Central College. Wilson has received awards and recognition at the Illinois Central College Arts Week Show, Blue-town Festival Art Show, First Methodist Fine Art Exhibit, and Creve Couer Rendezvous Old Settlers Days Art Show. Additionally, Wilson was a member of the Illinois Art League from 1994 to 2001, where she received numerous awards for her oil and watercolor paintings.
Her earlier work is representational, emphasizing realistic landscapes, still life, and portraits. Wilson is instinctively drawn to nature and the miraculous intricacies in our surroundings. She often references the shapes that prevail in nature to inspire her art. Her recent work is more abstract, emphasizing freedom of expression, introspection, and opportunities to explore light, shape, color, and line.
.
The Art of Kiley Beecher, Kiley Beecher
A lifelong Peoria-area native and Bradley University alum, Kiley Beecher is an independent, freelance creative professional specializing in graphic design art and illustration in central Illinois. As a graphic designer and art director, Beecher has developed materials for clients such as Caterpillar, Ameren Illinois, LG Seeds, G&D Integrated, 5 Senses Spa and Salon, Ideal Turf, and Gayon High Performance, among many other area businesses, both large and small. As an illustrator, Beecher has performed services as a cover artist for independent tabletop game designers, Ironwolf Industries, and story illustrator for Literary Orphans, in addition to individual commissions. He is also an illustrator for many licensed properties for both Cryptozoic Entertainment and Topps Company, including trading card sets for DC Superheroes & Villains, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and The Big Bang Theory. You can catch Beecher at most regional comic book conventions and Chicago shows. Check out his work online at www.kileybeecher.com, DeviantArt at kileybeecher.deviantart.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/kileybeecher.
.
Vivid, Marina Wirtz
As an art teacher, Wirtz believes that learning how to paint should be a fun adventure and teaches with energy and enthusiasm. Wirtz enjoys implementing unusual paint supplies, such as socks or kitchen sponges, and sharing new painting techniques, like intuitive painting and art therapy. Additionally, she inspires her students by sharing her knowledge of famous artists and their works. Wirtz is a member of the Union of Russian Professional Artists, which includes more than 5000 members whose membership has been awarded based on review by a professional commission. Wirtz actively participates in local art events, such as charity art auctions, art festivals, and other events where artists come together to share their vision. Wirtz also shows her work at Junction Gallery, 817 SW Adams Gallery, fineartamerica.com, and her Facebook page.
.
The Art of Judith Koren Shanahan, Judith Koren Shanahan
Shanahan’s collage artwork is created using combinations of acrylic paints, specialty papers, recycled ephemera, and textures. She works intuitively, and each painting or mixed media object evolves based on an idea, a poem, or an occurrence. She has exhibited locally as well as in Rockford, and her pieces have been purchased by people across the country. To view more of Judith Shanahan’s work or for more information, visit her website at judithkorenshanahan.com
.
State of the Union, Mike Rundle
Inspired by Carl Sandburg’s “I am the People-the Mob,” Mike Rundle’s State of the Union series seeks to document the daily lives of the people of Central Illinois. By associating stanzas of the poem with images from the series, Rundle intends to translate various themes, ranging from dedication to sacrifice. With minimal editing, the work intends to retain focus on the relationship between the subject in the photo and the stanza from the poem, rather than extravagantly altered images. According to Rundle, this series could not have been created without the help of local friends, family, and businesses.
Rundle’s work has been featured in various displays around the community, achieving honors in the Mid-Illini Art Show at the Prairie Center for the Arts and best of show at the East Peoria Woman’s Club Art Show held in May of 2016 at Fondulac District Library. To view more of Mike Rundle’s work or for more information, visit his website at mrundle.com.